Many of you are twiddling your thumbs right now as the scheduled maintenance for Xbox.com and Xbox Live has begun. You’re almost to the finish line though! Between 6-7 hours from now, you’ll have your fix as the services should return then.
What do we do in the meantime?
Play offline. It does still exist ya know. Or if you didn’t get a chance to catch a few of Trixie’s recommendations, allow me to give you a few of my own U360 suggestions.
-Read my thoughts on Bullet Witch, Crackdown, 300 or glance at how I review games
-Enjoy the OXM interview and listen in on what the plans are for the magazine
-Listen in on Xbox 360 Elite rumors in Episode #30
-Catch up with friends in the U360 community message boards
-Learn more about Xbox Live maintenance and Xbox Live operations, with e’s Showcase
These are just a few additional things you can do while the maintenance is being done.
*edit - the maintenance is complete. Xbox Live and Xbox.com are back online.
Oblivion fans rejoice as Bethesda has released the Shivering Isles expansion pack a day early. This means you can get it before the scheduled maintenance tomorrow! I’m hoping this is a planned early release and not one where it’ll be pulled. But just in case, you need to be quick on the active download.
The download comes in at 993.75MB. It’s a whopper indeed. Remember it will cost you 2400 Microsoft Points.
It was nearly a year ago when Peter Moore unveiled his bulging biceps news that Grand Theft Auto IV would be headed to the Xbox 360 with exclusive episodic content. Since then, there hasn’t been any media on the game. No news, no screenshots…nothing. Until now. The countdown is on towards the first official trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV! March 29 is the date for fans of Rockstar Games’ series to witness GTAIV in next generation glory.
Are you ready? Be at the official site for Grand Theft Auto IV when the timer hits zero!
Welcome to number thirty! I feel like we are getting older together. Five Calls makes its return to the show after a short time off. I have a good friend stopping by for a few minutes to chat. There is also a very special person making her way onto the show for a brief moment. What will Five Calls mean in regards to the Xbox 360 Elite rumors circulating the interweb? What is the meaning behind a 72 and a 3? Find out in Episode 30…enjoy.
Format:
51mins 10secs, 23.4MB, mp3
Show files:
mp3 - Listen to the show in mp3 format!
Show outline:
Guest, OAKCLIFFSFINEST - 18:55
Five Calls - 31:11
I know plenty of you are looking for the Xbox 360’s answer to Motorstorm so you may be pleased to know that you will be playing some form of gritty, muddy, off-road racing soon. Colin McRae: DIRT adds aggressive 10-vehicle C.O.R.R. races to its intense mix.
Screenshots: Available Here
Coming this June for the Xbox 360 and PC, Colin McRae: DIRT will now add races from the U.S. based C.O.R.R. (Championship Off-Road Racing) series to its already heady mix of Rally, Hill Climb, Rally Raid, Rally Cross and Crossover events. C.O.R.R. events see up to 10 drivers going head-to-head in fierce dirt circuit races. The combination of aggressive competition in powerful off-road vehicles, including Super Buggies and Pro 4 Trucks, and tracks packed with tabletop jumps, drop-offs and moguls makes for an intoxicating mix.
Are you excited? Or are you scratching your head wondering where Rallisport Challenge for the Xbox 360 is? Well, I’m ready to get dirty with this title. I need some off-road chaos in my 360 life. Stay tuned for more on this game as its release date approaches.
Codemasters released a new trailer for its upcoming Xbox 360 and PC title, Overlord. I’m not too sure what to think except…it’s crazy. (and that’s a refreshing thing) I can’t help but feel like watching Gremlins now. Overlord is a game that gives players hordes of evil, gremlin-like critters and a peaceful land for them to reek havoc on. Created by Triumph Studios, Overlord is set to ship this summer for the Xbox 360 and the PC.
In Overlord, the minions constitute the evil Overlord’s army and are the key gameplay mechanic. Completely and utterly loyal to him, minions will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and even die for their master. Their loyalty knows no limits and their bravery borders on stupidity, but with every bone in their odd little bodies, the minions will follow players’ commands no matter how despotic or life threatening they are.
I was reading a few articles at Gamerscoreblog and came across one highlighting the process behind Halo 2 and its achievements. It was a pretty good read. Microsoft has a team working with Bungie on Halo 2 for Vista called Hired Gun. Click the link for more.
Here’s a highlight from the blog over at IGN:
Designing Achievements for Halo 2 for Windows Vista
The Xbox version of “Halo 2″ obviously predated the era of the Gamerscore, so this represents one of several compelling reasons to give “Halo 2″ another spin. For the team, designing fun and significant rewards in a game that is already well-established was a bit challenging. This was accomplished with the help of the talented staff at Bungie Studios and Hired Gun, with a watchful eye on the latest trends in the gaming community.
The achievements were designed with some fundamental goals in mind – keep the game fun, encourage beginners to join our “Halo 2″ community, and provide a new challenge with a few tough or interesting achievements for our most dedicated fans.
For the impatient soul in you all, here’s some Wednesday forecasting for ya. Rare’s remake “Jetpac Refuelled” will hit the Xbox Live Arcade next. And it will include both versions!
A galactic test pilot’s work is never done, and in Rare’s Jetpac Refuelled gamers have to fight off pesky aliens while trying to build rockets to take them to their next destination. Rare’s Jetpac Refuelled is a revamped and modernized version of the 1983 classic space blaster Jetpac.
In Jetpac Refuelled players must clear a path through hordes of aliens to refuel their ship and amass a fortune over the course of 128 hi-definition levels, complete with achievements, leaderboards and simultaneous multiplayer action. The remake looks hot!
When: Wednesday, March 28 at 0900 GMT (2 a.m. PDT)
How much: 400 Microsoft Points
Screenshots: Available here courtesy of the crew @ Gamerscoreblog
Beginning at midnight PDT on March 27, Xbox.com (including the forums) and Xbox Live will be down for maintenance for approximately fourteen (14) hours. That means around 2-3PM PDT you should see these services restored. This is for maintenance only! It is not the Spring system update and it is not due to any of the ridiculous hacking rumors of late.
Read more about the maintenance here. Trixie always brings some humor to an otherwise boring subject so read up. I recommend reading #5 on the list over and over (hint). Thanks for the love Trixie!
I thought I’d share the first trailer of the upcoming game, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Scheduled for release on May 22, 2007, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End video games invite players to “live and die by the sword” as they venture to the worlds of the films and beyond while playing as Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. It’s coming to the Xbox 360 and all other consoles this summer. I know I can’t wait for the movie after having seen the trailer!
Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End Trailer!
If anyone is having trouble viewing, click here to see the embedded trailer.
